Live breaking news: Sydney, NSW and Qld flood warnings, 40,000 told to prepare to evacuate as roads, schools and public transport close - NEWS.com.au

Overnight the NSW State Emergency Service issued flood evacuation orders for low-lying areas of Southgate on the Clarence River, and for Moree in the northern tablelands.

Across the state, more than 40,000 people have been impacted by flood evacuation orders over the past few days, with fears water levels will continue to remain dangerously high through the rest of the week.

Follow the live updates below. You can find yesterday’s live weather blog here.

Live Updates

More than 40,000 people across NSW have been impacted by evacuation orders over the last few days as devastating floods ravaged the state.

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers have been called to more than 15000 jobs in the past 24 hours, the organisation said.

Despite the easing rain, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned "it is not the end of the story".

"Many areas are still facing significant #flood risk, and in some communities waters are yet to peak," BOM NSW said.

Multiple evacuation orders were issued overnight, including for low lying areas of Tabulam after the Clarence River reached a height of 10.54 metres, for low lying properties in Moree and for low lying areas downstream of Singleton.

After days of heavy #rain we're finally seeing it start to ease. While it's some good news for hard hit communities, it's not the end of the story. Many areas are still facing significant #flood risk, and in some communities waters are yet to peak https://t.co/3h6w40u6RH @NSWSES pic.twitter.com/Bt4WZIrRN0
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 23, 2021

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Prince Harry has bagged a job as the “chief impact officer” at a Silicon Valley startup.

The Duke of Sussex said he wanted to “create impact” after being named as part of the leadership team with BetterUp Inc — a coaching and mental health firm in the US.

The Wall Street Journal today reported the 36-year-old would take up the “meaty” role one year after he quit the royal family.

Picture: Steve Parsons/AFP

Harry, 36, told the publication in an email: “I intend to help create impact in people’s lives.

“Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness, and an all-round better life.”

BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux said while Prince Harry would not manage employees, he was expected to be a part of all-hands meetings and special company events.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has issued a personal apology after falsely claiming in a nationally televised press conference that a News Corp journalist was the subject of a “harassment complaint” over an incident in the women’s toilets.

In an 11pm statement on Facebook, the Prime Minister said he now accepted the incident he described never happened.

Mr Morrison made the extraordinary claim during a tense exchange with Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell at a press conference on Tuesday, where the PM addressed the sexual harassment and assault crisis engulfing the government. He challenged the media to be careful about living in “glass houses”, claiming News Corp was dealing with a complaint regarding "harassment of a woman in a women's toilet".

Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Last night, the Prime Minister said he now accepted that the incident he described did not occur and that he was “wrong” to say what he did.

“In the course of today’s media conference when responding to further questions I deeply regret my insensitive response to a question from a News Ltd journalist by making an anonymous reference to an incident at News Ltd that has been rejected by the company. I accept their account,’’ he said.

A young family fleeing their Upper Colo home were thrown into the Hawkesbury River when their rescue boat capsized earlier today.

The dramatic rescue continued and the family was brought to safety in Sackville.

NCA NewsWire photographer Jeremy Piper captured these images.

Major flooding is occurring along the Wollombi Brook at Bulga and along the Severn River at Ashford, where the water is rising.

Rainfall totals of 80-120 mm have been recorded in the last 24 hours in the Upper Macintyre and Severn Rivers, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Very heavy rainfall in the past 36 hours in the Gwydir catchment has caused significant river level rises in the Gwydir River, where major flooding is occurring at Moree on Tuesday night and people in low-lying areas have been ordered to evacuate.

Major flooding is also likely along the Gwydir River at Gravesend and Yarraman and along the Mehi River, which is currently at 9.04 metres at Moree, with rises to 10.4 metres possible on Wednesday.

Major flooding at Texas is likely overnight with showers and thunderstorms forecast for the remainder of Tuesday and Wednesday. Major flooding is expected to continue all week for the Upper Macintyre River at North Richmond and Windsor, with warnings also current downstream on the Colo River and Nepean River at Menagle.

Major flooding is occurring along the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond, Windsor, Sackville and Lower Portland, with major flooding expected at Wisemans Ferry in the next few hours.

Warragamba Dam began spilling around 3pm Saturday and is expected to continue spilling for the next few days.